No Way, Shape or Form
by Sleepless Fiction
Summary: Natsume is a popular novelist, and with money, fame, and women at his fingertips, he has slowly become bored with life. Mikan is a lonely high school student after losing her eyesight at an early age. Their fates soon become intertwined and they slowly fall in love. But they each hold their own dark secret.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gakuen Alice.

**No Way, Shape or Form**

_When you were gone and I couldn't see you,  
>the hardest part was that I still missed you.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

"What's the sky like today, Anna?"

"Hmm… I'd say… a cloudless blue sky."

Mikan Sakura grinned. "A cloudless blue sky…" she repeated. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to envision the most perfect blue, the serenity of the sky, and the brightness of the sun. "Must be nice."

She heard Anna Umenomiya giggle. She was the first friend Mikan made in her first year, and ever since then, they were inseparable. With one hand, Mikan held onto Anna's arm, while with the other, grasped onto her folded long cane. As the time of day would have it, which would be walking to school in the morning, Mikan had no need for it, and like the name suggested, she had it folded.

"It is. Very," commented Anna. "But rather than seeing it, wouldn't you much rather feel it?" And by saying this, Mikan knew that Anna was trying to be considerate of her situation. One that she'd been living with for the past 11 years.

"Yes, and it feels wonderful."

They continued to walk to school in silence. It was one of the reasons Mikan enjoyed Anna's company. They understood each other in a way that no other girls their age did. Before she had met Mikan, Anna liked to walk to school alone in the mornings, and Mikan, who needed someone to guide her to school, didn't socialize much with anyone either, so they were perfect for each other, though they talked an awful lot once they got to school. In fact, as odd as it might seem, walking to school in each other's company was one of the reasons why they became friends.

However, _because_ they were so quiet (unless they were with each other), they also became observers (or listeners in Mikan's case) of what the latest news at school was. And the hottest topic nowadays seemed to be of Natsume Hyuuga.

"Ever heard of him?" Anna had asked Mikan the first time his name came up in class among the students. And Mikan's answer to that was,

"Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I hear _everything._" And they had a good laugh about it afterwards. But now they knew exactly who he was. He was currently an extremely popular novelist, who focused mainly on romance.

And he was _everywhere._ Just the other day, Anna told Mikan she'd seen him on the billboards of a few buses, and the cover of a magazine. "He looked quite risqué," she said. "Posing with Luna Koizumi."

"But isn't she a singer?" Mikan had asked.

"Yeah."

"So what's a novelist doing posing with a singer?"

"Who knows? But he's hot as fuck."

"I see."

And that peeked Mikan's interest quite a bit.

* * *

><p>"What does he look like?" asked Mikan later that day at lunch. They were sitting on the rooftop along with a few other students who also decided to have lunch there. But the rooftop was their usual spot.<p>

"Hmm?"

Mikan smiled, aware that there was still food in Anna's mouth. "Natsume Hyuuga. What does he look like?"

Anna swallowed. "Let's see…" She tapped her finger on her chin. "Would you like me to read his personal profile to you?" Anna stifled a giggle. Clearly, she had taken a liking to him as well, like all the other girls at school.

"Oh, so you've read it?" teased Mikan.

"I haven't just read his profile, I've studied him," Anna said sarcastically. "But yes, all joking aside, I have read his profile. I can describe his physical features." She paused thoughtfully before continuing. "Black hair," she began, "that's grown out a bit, with eyes so rich a brown, they appear red."

"What else?"

"A nice tan complexion and uhm… he's got defined cheekbones, and a high nose bridge. Turning 27 this year. Oh yeah, and he's also quite tall apparently, 186 cm."

Mikan tilted her head slightly to one side. "So girls like him because of his looks."

Anna took another bite of her sandwich. "Well, that, but there's also another part to it," she mumbled through her food. "I've read some of his books, and he's actually really good at what he does. And the books I've read – well, they're not _just_ about love. They can get pretty brutal. Like, there's violence and death in them. And you may be surprised, but his audience ranges from girls in their teens to women in their late 40's."

"Oh really?" Mikan was genuinely surprised. She didn't know that he was popular with women as well. She thought that it was only teenage girls who were really into him.

"Yeah. Well, I can see w-"

"Anna!"

A voice distracted the both of them.

"Is that Misaki?" asked Mikan.

"Yup." Anna groaned. "Dammit." _Thunk._ Anna placed something on the ground. "I'll be right back."

"Alright." _What could that be about?_

Anna came back a few minutes later. "Shit!"

Mikan turned her head to Anna's direction without averting her eyes from the same forwardness they always took. "What happened?" she asked, concerned.

Anna sighed. "I completely forgot that I had something to do today."

"What? Like an assignment or something?"

"No… Club activities."

"Oh…"

Anna was in the cooking club at school, but she hadn't been attending for three weeks now. Mikan knew it was because of her. "You should go," Mikan assured her.

"No," Anna argued. "I can't leave you by yourself. How are you going to get home?"

"I've done it before."

There was a long silence before Anna spoke again. "You know..." she started. "I can tell Misaki that I can't go toda-"

"The festival's coming soon isn't it? Misaki probably needs your help. I mean you're the best cook I know." Anna loved cooking and baking. But she also loved Mikan, and Mikan felt the same about her. What kind of friend would she be if she took away something Anna loved?

An unsure pause. "Alright," Anna said after a while. "But if anything happens, call me. They said it might rain today."

* * *

><p>"<em>You must understand that the act of writing a novel is an intensely personal one. So I think each reader decide for themselves what my stories are about." <em>

"_I see… But Mr. Hyuuga, wouldn't you agree that no matter how much violence, death or tragedy permeates your stories, they're all love stories at their core?" _

"_I guess. But I don't feel that love is a necessary emotion. Next question." _

Natsume Hyuuga was used to interviews and used to the same questions. So much so that after five years of doing it, he had become bored of them. However, at least today's interviewer kept it a bit interesting. She had been flirting with him throughout the entire interview, and every time they made eye contact, her eyes would go aflutter. He smiled and flirted effortlessly back at her. Maybe he should've given her his number. Or taken her home. Or slept with her.

But he had been too damn tired for any of that. It was 2:30, and he'd been up since seven in the morning promoting his new book and doing interviews. He planned on calling Ruka, but then thought of Hotaru and decided against it. He sighed and placed a hand over his face. God, he was tired. But he still had to drive home.

And home was forty-five minutes away.

He exited the building and entered the parking lot. He was just about about to get into his red sports car when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Ruka. He had set a specific ringtone for him whenever he called, so he knew immediately that it was him. He got in the car, pulled the seatbelt over, and buckled it before answering.

"Hello?"

"_Where are you?"_

Natsume was caught off guard. The voice on the other side was a feminine one. Definitely not Ruka. "Who's this?" he asked, slightly confused.

"_Hotaru._"

_Oh. _He smirked. "You don't sound too happy," he said, a mixture of annoyance and flirtation in his voice. Hotaru and Natsume never really liked each other, but he still couldn't help but tease her just a little bit.

"_That's 'cause I'm not." _He could hear the anger in her voice. There was a slight pause. "_Let me guess,"_ she started again, "_You've been out having fun while me and Ruka have the honour of taking care of your girlfriend?" _

"Girlfriend?" he asked, confused.

"_Yeah, Luna. If you're not here in the next ten minutes, I'm going to fu-"_

"_Don't listen to her Natsume." _This voice he recognized. "_Okay Luna, I know… O-okay… just… Hotaru, take her to her room." _After a while, Ruka came back to the phone. "_Sorry about that."_

"Since when was Luna my girlfriend?" he asked. "I don't recall ever asking her out."

"_That's not what she thinks. Ever since she met you at that part three months ago… let's just say she's been a _little_ bit crazy about you."_

_Great…_ He ran his fingers through his hair. "Did I tell you Ruka? She'd been leaving me text messages and voice mails ever since the day of the party? I've erased all of her contact information and blocked her on everything." _Women._

"_So? Are you coming to see her then? We told her you'd be coming over…" _

"_What?_ Ruka, leave her alone. I don't want you to do something like this again. It's not for my sake. It's not for her sake. There's no purpose behind it." Neither of them said anything. "Let's hang up." And he pressed end on his phone before he could hear what Ruka had to say.

He started his car and looked at the sky. "Seems like it's going to rain," he muttered, before driving off.

* * *

><p>The noises were familiar to her: footsteps, talking, the sounds of cars honking at each other. But the environment in which she was in wasn't. Mikan had thought she would be fine without Anna, but truthfully, she wasn't. She felt nervous. Along the way, she noticed that her breathing had become heavy. But even more than nervous, scared. She held out her folded long cane, and tapped the ground in front of her.<p>

What's worse was that Anna had been right. Despite the beautiful morning, she could feel the rain on her skin. Luckily it was just drizzling for now, but still she had to hurry home. She didn't know how bad it was going to get, and it would be a lot of trouble for her if she were stuck outside in a rainstorm. It would interrupt her familiarity with the route, and she would end up in God knows where.

She kept tapping the ground with her cane, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, when suddenly, she felt someone pull her shoulders backwards. "Hey, hey," said an unfamiliar voice. "It's a red light."

Mikan gasped. Her hands began to tremble. "Th… Thank you," she said, flinching from the stranger's touch, head down.

"Do you need help?" the stranger asked.

She shook her head.

"You sure?"

She nodded.

"Alright."

Then it poured. The rain felt like needles against her skin, hurting her. It seemed to break her concentrate. She couldn't focus. And suddenly, she didn't know where she was anymore. Was she at the second major intersection? Or first? Did she need to walk straight or make a left turn? What time was it? Was school already over? Panic surged throughout her body.

But even so, she took a step forward, aware that everyone else was crossing, but also aware that there were eyes on her. People were watching her. It was almost like she could hear them thinking. _Is she crazy? Why isn't someone helping her? Disabled person… Can she manage?_

She wasn't sure how far across the street she had made it. But she could feel the people around her and the discomfort that was beginning to make its way in her heart. _Please…_ she thought.

And then it happened.

Someone bumped her shoulder.

And she fell. And just like that, everything seemed to fall apart. Gasping, she put her hands out in front of her, her folded long cane escaping her hands, and she felt her hands scrape the gravel. Her hands hurt. Her knees hurt. Everywhere hurt. It wasn't just the physical pain she felt. She felt a sharp stab in her heart. She felt helpless. But even more than that, she felt hopeless. And the rain only made it worse.

_Why?_

She could feel the presence of people encircling her, looking at her, like a caged animal. People mostly stared, and some attempted to help her. However, her legs refused to move. She was lost, and no longer knew where she was. All she could see was complete darkness.

She waved her arms wildly in front of her, trying to feel the road around her. Her fingers came into contact with something, a long cylindrical object. Her folded long cane. She wrapped her hand around the object, and pulled her arm to her chest, clutching tightly onto the object. But still she couldn't feel her feet.

The feeling of hopelessness crept back in.

Natsume groaned. In this weather, there was no way he could make it back by four. He kept fiddling around with his stereo, switching between his CD player and the radio, a cigarette in his mouth, and on more than one occasion, checked himself out in the rearview mirror.

He now found himself stopped in front of a red light. And if it wasn't for the weather, he wouldn't have noticed the girl crossing the street with a cane in her hand. And he might've even run her over afterward if he hadn't seen her fall, hitting the paved road hard.

Hands still on the wheel, he straightened himself, and observed as a crowd surrounded her. He waited. And waited. But she never got up. The light turned green. And still she didn't get up.

Something stirred within him then. Something he hadn't felt before. Maybe it was a desire to finally do something good in his life. But without having any second thoughts, he opened the car door and got out without closing it. He made his way through the crowd.

"Excuse me," he said multiple times, as he made his way in the crowd.

He stopped.

Her hair was wet, all the way to the tips. Her clothes were drenched, and her bag lying next to her, some spots darker than the others. Some of the contents inside the bag had fallen out. A cellphone was lying on the ground, a wallet, what appeared to be a photo ID and a tube of lipstick. In her hand she held a cane.

Her whole body was trembling.

He walked slowly over to her, and bent down. Natsume looked at the girl closely. She had pretty features. Big brown eyes with flecks of green and a gold ring around the irises. A small nose and lips. She had her milky complexion, and her brown hair went quite a bit past her shoulders. He looked at the items on the ground, and, grabbing her bag, placed them back inside.

He stood up then, still looking at her. He grabbed her by the upper arm, pulled her arm, and looked at the crowd. "She's with me," he told them, pulling her up.

Mikan felt her legs peel themselves off the road. She could feel small rocks embedded into her legs, but didn't bother to brush them off. She felt another pull, but still her legs refused to move.

She could feel them shaking.

And suddenly, she felt something sweep her underneath her legs, an arm firmly around her waist, and just like that, she could no longer feel the ground beneath her. "Excuse me," she heard a low, masculine voice say.

She flinched. This was not a voice she recognized.

The next words she let out were forced. "W… who are you?"

No answer.

Her legs and arms swayed. He was taking her somewhere. She could feel it. "Who are you?" she repeated, her voice more stern this time. He didn't answer her again, but by the time she had asked the question, she could feel the ground beneath her feet again.

"Get in the car," he said, opening the door for her.

"What?" Mikan could hear the alarm in her voice.

"Get in the car," he said again, motioning her into the seat.

Mikan sat in the car, and felt the seat with her hands. Leather. And expensive. Then she felt someone lingering over her. He was helping her put on the seatbelt. The man gave it a tug before closing the door.

The door on the other side opened, and she felt the car _vroom_. "W-What are you doing?"

"I'm taking you home," he said.

His voice was still unfamiliar to her.

"Do I know you?"

"No. This is the first time we've met I believe."

"Then how are you going to take me home?"

Natsume smirked, his grip on the wheel tightening. He felt something stir in him again, and it wasn't the need to do something good. It was the need to do something bad.

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading. Really appreciate it xDD. Please take the time to review. And if not... that's fine too.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Gakuen Alice.

**No Way, Shape or Form**

_When you were gone and I couldn't see you,  
>the hardest part was that I still missed you.<em>

**Chapter 2**

"What's your name?"

Natsume glanced over at her when after ten seconds, there still was no reply. So he tried again. "What's your name?" he asked, emphasizing his words a bit.

After a while, she spoke. "Mikan."

_Cute._

They stayed silent for a long time. Mikan could felt her heart trying to jump out of her chest because it was beating so fast. She didn't feel nervous, or afraid like she did before (strangely enough) but the idea that she had no idea where she was terrified her. "Where are we?" she said after a while.

Natsume had a hand placed lazily on the top of the steering wheel, another cigarette in his mouth, with the car door opened. "We're going to my apartment," he told her.

A jolt went within Mikan. "What?" she huffed out, barely managing to form the word. As if on instant, she felt around until her fingers came into contact with the car door. She tugged and the door opened.

But she wasn't prepared for the rush of wind and rain that came hit her face at 70 miles per hour.

"What the hell?!" she heard Natsume yell out in surprise, as he braked as hard as he could. She would've fell out, if not for her seatbelt.

The car came to a stop, and Mikan could hear a car behind them honking. "YOU CRAZY!?" one driver shouted.

"Yeah, are you crazy?!" That voice belonged to Natsume.

"Uh…" Mikan stifled a sob. "I… I'm sorry," was all she could say.

"You could've killed yourself! Are you craving for some sort of… _death wish?!"_

"Sorry…" she repeated.

Natsume ran a hand over his face. "Close the door," he told her. Mikan reached out towards the door, motioning her arm around, but only felt the air.

Natsume, once again, closely observed this girl. She was an odd one. The way she spoke, the way she moved, the way her eyes hadn't even once looked his direction… It was all so bizarre. She didn't seem like a high school girl, but he seemed to have found the answer.

_Thud._

Mikan had found the door and pulled it closed. "I'm really sorry," she said again. "I wasn't thinking."

_Clearly._ Natsume sighed. He continued driving.

"But I really can't come with you. I have to go home. My grandpa's waiting for me."

"I don't know where you live," he answered. "And it doesn't seem like you know where you live either." He glanced over at her again, this time at the object she was clutching in her hand. "You're blind, aren't you?"

There was another stab in Mikan's heart. Her blindness wasn't something she wanted to hide, or even _could_ hide. But even after all these years, 11 long years, it still hurt to have it pointed out so openly. "Yes."

He hadn't noticed that she couldn't see anything when she fell. He didn't even notice it when he put her in his car. At first, he thought she was a bit strange. She didn't try to secretly peer over at him when she thought he wasn't looking, like most girls did. She just stared intensely in front of her the whole time. But somewhere along the way, he eventually figured it out. The feeling of wanting to do something 'bad' subsided. And the walking stick she was holding gave quite a bit away.

"I'm going to take you back to my apartment, and clean you up a bit. Then I'll drive you home. Do you have a phone?"

"It's in my b – my bag!"

"Don't worry, I put your bag in the back seat. I picked everything up when you fell. Your phone died, but I have the same one, so I'll charge it for you when we get back to my place."

"I just…" Mikan started.

He waited for her to continue but she never did.

* * *

><p>They were nearly there, when a thought crossed his mind. "I never introduced myself. My name is Natsume Hyuuga."<p>

Natsume got out of the car, walked over to the passenger side and opened the door. Mikan felt him as he leaned over and unbuckled the seatbelt. "Thank you," she mumbled.

Natsume smiled at her, even though he knew she wouldn't see it. He took her arm, and led her out of the car, a hand over the top of her head so she wouldn't hit herself. "I… I've read some of your books," she said.

"Oh really?" Natsume teased, though he felt startled inside.

"A friend of mine read one of your stories out loud to me once. I liked it a lot." She was out of the car now, her hand in Natsume's. Her gaze never changed from the point in front of her, and despite being blind, she had the largest pupils Natsume had ever seen. "Actually, I guess… I just like you."

Natsume smirked. "Was that a confession?"

Mikan blinked and didn't answer. There was an awkward pause between the two. Natsume worried for a moment, and that startled him. Never did he ever feel worry, especially in the present of a female(s). But after a while,

"Yes."

That was an answer he didn't expect. Or rather, it was the way she answered that took him off guard. Usually, girls blushed, or tried to cover their face with their hands or hair. They never answered so bluntly. Something sparked inside him just then, and it was an unfamiliar feeling.

"I mean I really admire your work."

Suddenly, Natsume understood what it was like to be shot down. He hadn't been in years. But for some reason, every time this girl said something, it affected him in a way he couldn't quite comprehend. "Well, thanks," he said, trying to conceal the tiny bit of disappointment he felt.

He let go of her hand and opened the back seat, where her bag lay. It was a pretty plain bag. An ugly brown colour with a long strap. Not very fashionable. But who was he to judge a blind person's tastes?

"Hold your arm out," he told her. And she did. He slipped the strap through her arm, and hung it on her shoulder.

"Thank you."

"Alright, let's go." He started walking, but had only gone a few steps when he turned around, and saw that she was still standing there. _Oh, right…_ He walked back. "You can follow me, right?"

She held her hand out. "I need to hold onto your arm," she said. "I can't see you."

Natsume's hands had been in his pockets. He angled his body until his arm was in her hand. It was a different kind of sensation for him. Her touch was light. She wasn't grabbing onto him or holding him tightly. She simply placed the palm of her hand on his forearm.

"Just walk and I'll follow you."

Slowly, he took a step forward. He felt the need to be extremely careful and delicate. But she was following him with no trouble. "We're in the parking lot right now," he said. "It's not that far to the elevator."

He took his key from out of his pocket, put it against the sensor, and opened a door. "Watch your step here."

* * *

><p>Natsume opened the door to his apartment, and looked confused. "Why are the lights turned on?" he said out loud. He remembered leaving his house at 6:30 in the morning. There was no way he could've turned on any of the lights. Mikan was still holding onto his arm.<p>

"Wait here," he told her. She nodded, and he walked inside. "Hello?" He went into the living room, and noticed that his bedroom door was open. Even more unusual was the fact that the light was on. Something crashed, and he rushed in. "Who's there?"

And walking out of the bathroom that connected to his bedroom was Ruka.

Natsume stared at him, and he stared back. "What the f-"

Ruka held a finger up. "Don't start," he said. "You were supposed to be back by two hours ago_._" Ruka was clearly mad at him.

But so was Natsume. "Tch. Is this what happens when I give you a copy of my house key? You just come over whenever you want, not even bothering to give me a _call?_"

"That's not an answer to my question. _Where have you been?" _

Natsume glared at him. "Something happened."

"_What?_ How is it that I'm here before you?" Ruka let out an exasperated sigh. "God… I sound like an overly jealous girlfriend."

"Yes, you do," was Natsume's response.

Ruka sat down on Natsume's bed and put his face in his palms.

"Long day?" asked Natsume.

"One hell of a day."

Natsume put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Listen, about Luna... Just forget about it. Don't bother with her. Whatever happened was a mistake. It _shouldn't_ have happened."

Ruka slapped his hand away. "What's the use in telling me that? Go tell _her._" Ruka looked hard into Natsume's eyes. "She's actually crazy. She's not even crazy for you. She's just… _crazy._"

Natsume sighed. "Yeah… I really know how to pick 'em, huh?"

"How many times?"

"What?"

"How many times have you slept with her?"

"None."

"You lie!"

Natsume stayed silent for a short moment. "Fine. Three times."

Ruka groaned.

"I _told_ you it was a mistake."

"Yeah. Three times in a matter of what – _three months_ is a mistake."

"Ruka, I have someone waiting for me by the door, okay? I don't have time for this. I don't care if you're my best friend _or_ my publicist. Just do something about it before Luna says or does anything."

Ruka peered over Natsume and gazed out the bedroom, but there was no one there. "You have someone over? Who?"

"She's _by the door._ Waiting for me."

Ruka gave Natsume his hard stare once more. "She?"

Natsume groaned. "I don't have time for this shit," and walked out. As he made his way back to the doorway, Mikan was still standing there, exactly the way he had left her. He stood in the middle of the hall, and allowed himself a moment to look at her.

She was small, both in height and stature. She had straight, medium brown hair that went over her breasts. She also had this milky white complexion all over. Her hair was wet and her clothes were wet. He didn't even notice that the outline of her bra was showing. What struck him the most about this girl were her eyes. Maybe he had this preconceived notion about blind people, but he couldn't believe how expressive her eyes were. Standing there all by herself, she looked incredibly sad.

"Sorry about that," he said after a moment, breaking his concentration.

"Oh, it's okay." Only her lips moved. "That took a while though, is everything alright?"

"Yeah." He walked over to her, and placed her hand on his arm. "It's a friend of mine."

"How'd he get in?"

"I gave him a copy of my key."

"You two must be really good friends."

Natsume shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose we are."

He walked into the living room once more, and led her to the couch. "Sit here," he said. And she slowly sat down, not sure how high or low the seat was. She let go of his arm.

"You said you would charge my phone," Mikan said. She was already unbuttoning her bag, and rummaging her hand in it until she felt the familiar touch of her phone. She pulled it out.

"Oh, that's right." He took it from her. "I'll give you something warm to drink, and you can take a shower if you like."

Mikan blinked a few times. It was a habit of hers. A motion she did only when she felt uncomfortable. "U-Uhm…"

Natsume smirked. He had enough experience with women to know that was a sign. "Don't worry. There's a lock on the door."

"I just… I couldn't." She tilted her head down. "It's not that I don't trust you. It's…" _Because I'm in an unfamiliar environment._

Natsume placed his hands on his waist. "Your drenched from the tips of your hair all the way down to your socks. Showers aren't a big deal. Besides," he turned and walked towards the open kitchen that was connected to the living room. "I'll feel responsible if you catch a cold."

Mikan hesitated before raising her head. "Oka-"

Suddenly, Ruka burst in from the bedroom. "Natsume," he began. But then he saw Mikan sitting on the couch. He looked at her. And then looked at Natsume. And looked at her again. "Another girl?"

Natsume felt his mouth twitch.

Mikan didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say.

"She's…" He opened a cupboard and took out a mug. "A guest." He placed the mug on the counter, and plugged her phone into the phone charger that he had put in earlier that morning into the outlet. "Would you like some tea Mikan?"

Furious, Ruka walked over to him, and leaned in close, so only Natsume could hear him. "Is that a _high school uniform?_"

"Hey, hey. I was just helping her."

Ruka resisted the temptation to push Natsume into the kitchen counter. "Helping her my ass," he spat.

Mikan tightened her hands into a fist, and clenched them so hard; she felt her nails digging into her palms. She didn't know what was going on but it further increased her discomfort. She could hear two males arguing, and the topic was about her. She closed her eyes and winced.

"Excuse me," she said loudly. The shouting stopped. Ruka and Natsume both turned their attention to her. "He's telling the truth. He was only helping me. I was crossing the street, and I tripped and fell." She held her folded cane out. "I'm blind."

There was a long silence. Ruka was the one to speak first.

"I see." He straightened his tie. "I made some assumptions. Sorry about that."

"It's okay," Mikan assured him.

"Well, I'll be leaving now." Ruka gave Natsume a final look. "Call her."

All Mikan heard after that was footsteps and a door closing. _Her?_

Natsume cleared his throat. "Sorry about that," he said. He poured some hot water into a pot and let it sit for a while. "You'll have to wait a bit for the tea."

"I think I should leave." Mikan felt her voice crack.

Natsume had made some coffee for himself, and was just about to take a sip, but let the cup hover by his lips. He could sense her discomfort. Her shoulders were hunched over, and her hair covered her face. "At least take a shower."

"I don't think so."

"There's no one else here. I promise."

"I'm telling you, it's not that."

Natsume placed the cup down. Mikan heard him walk into somewhere. The sound of a drawer opening and closing. A rustle. A door opened. He walked back out. He took her by her elbows, and looked at her – looked into her eyes. "I just want to help you." Gently, he pulled her onto her feet, and without resisting, she got up.

He was standing close to her. She could sense it. Body heat was radiating off him. But she couldn't _feel _him – couldn't feel them touching. Natsume wrapped his hand around her wrist and tugged her towards the bathroom.

He sat her down on the toilet seat. "Here's a fresh towel." He put it in her lap. "And some clothes." He put that on top of the towel. "If you need help, yell."

And he walked out, closing both doors – the bathroom and bedroom – after him.

* * *

><p>hey guys... LOL i'm prepared for your anger. I know... it took me sooo long to upload, but i'm really busy, no joke. I <em>am<em> a university student after all, and writing this story is something I do as a hobby. I thank you so much for liking this story and continuing to stick by it. I wish I could give a shout out to all my reviewers out there (I totally appreciate it. Thanks xoxo) but loool no time.

Please wait for the next one. :D


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